Plastic Surgery Can’t Hide: Thai Immigration Nabs Chinese Fraud Suspect

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Thai Immigration Police have apprehended a Chinese woman subject to an Interpol Blue Notice, at a luxury condominium in the Rama 4 area of Bangkok, on October 7, 2024.

BANGKOK  — Thai Immigration Police have apprehended a Chinese woman subject to an Interpol Blue Notice, who had undergone plastic surgery to alter her appearance and was hiding in Thailand. She overstayed for 650 days.

On October 7, Immigration Police officers arrested a Chinese woman named in an Interpol Blue Notice for fraud charges in mainland China at a luxury condominium in the Rama 4 area of Bangkok.

The Immigration Bureau’s investigation unit had received a tip from a resident about a Chinese foreign national believed to be staying in the kingdom illegally and exhibiting suspicious behavior, keeping to herself and often covering her face with a hat and mask whenever leaving her residence. An operation team was deployed to observe the area below the residential building.

Later, the operation team spotted a suspect matching the informant’s description, with her face completely covered, coming down to receive food on the ground floor. They identified themselves as immigration officers and asked to check the passport of Ms. Jing Qu (pseudonym), aged 30.

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When questioned about her illegal stay in the kingdom, Jing Qu acted suspiciously and tried to change the subject, evading answers. She claimed to be a flight attendant for a famous airline who had been laid off, but the officers were skeptical as foreign nationals working as crew members receive specific visa types, not tourist visas on arrival like typical Chinese tourists.

Upon checking the Interpol database, immigration officers found that Jing Qu was subject to an Interpol Blue Notice. The arrest team then coordinated with Chinese security agencies and obtained additional information from the Public Security Bureau of Zouping City in Shandong Province that between 2016-2019, Ms. Jing Qu was a suspect in a fraud case.

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Comparison images showing facial plastic surgery of the Chinese female suspect who fled from China to hide in Thailand

Case details indicate that she deceived victims by claiming she could help them secure jobs as flight attendants or stewards with several famous airlines. Ms. Jing Qu defrauded six victims in a total amount of more than CNY 1.52 million ($216K or 7.2 million baht). She then used part of the money for facial plastic surgery to avoid recognition by the victims and kept her face covered at all times before fleeing to hide in Thailand, where she was eventually arrested.

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Immigration checks revealed that Jing Qu firstly entered the kingdom in late 2022 on a TR-15 visa, allowing a 15-day stay for tourism. She has currently overstayed her permission by more than 650 days.

Officers have initially charged her with “being a foreigner staying in the kingdom with expired permission.” She is being detained and sent to investigators at the Immigration Police Investigation Division for legal proceedings and deportation.

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